PRZYKŁAD:
- You don't need to race against time. Take all the time you want.

TO KEEP ONE'S NOSE CLEAN

-nie popadać w konflikty z prawem
-to keep out of trouble, especially trouble with the law

PRZYKŁAD:
- John, if you don't learn how to keep your nose clean, you're going to end up in jail.

TO MAKE ODD BEDFELLOWS

- bardzo różniące się od siebie osoby, które zazwyczaj nie podzielają tych samych
opinii, a ich widok razem nas zaskakuje
- people that are very different and would not usually have the same opinions or be seen together

PRZYKŁAD:
- Priests and pop stars make strange bedfellows, but on this issue they agree.

FORK IN THE ROAD

-moment, w którym musimy podjąć bardzo ważną decyzję
-a time when you have to make a difficult decision about something

PRZYKŁAD:
-After graduating from university, I reached a fork in the road when I had to decide between going to Law school, or to Graduate school. It took me months to decide!

WHEN PIGS FLY

-coś co się nie wydarzy
-something is highly unlikely ever to happen, or that it will never happen

PRZYKŁAD:
When she told me my project would be a better television film than a feature film, I thought she was brushing me off.

TURN INTO A PUMPKIN

-wrócić do domu nocą
-used when saying what time you usually go home or go to bed at night

PRZYKŁAD:
It's too late for me - I turn into a pumpkin at eleven o'clock.

RED HERRING

-fałszywy trop
-a piece of information or suggestion introduced to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation.

PRZYKŁAD:
The detectives were following a red herring, but they're on the right track now.

ONE-HORSE TOWN

-małe miasteczko, w którym nic się nie dzieje
- a very small town; a small and backward town.

PRZYKŁAD:
-I refuse to spend a whole week in that one-horse town!

A PEN PUSHER

-ktoś, kto ma nudną pracę w biurze
-someone who has a boring job in an office

PRZYKŁAD:
He's a frustrated desk-bound pen pusher who dreams of trekking through jungles

BE IN A LATHER

-martwić się czymś
-to be very anxious about something

PRZYKŁAD:
She was in a real lather when I left this morning because she couldn't find the tickets.

BE AS DEAD AS A DODO

-coś mało ważnego, nieaktualnego.
-if something is as dead as a dodo, it is not important or popular any more

PRZYKŁAD:
-Who cares about socialism any more? Socialism's as dead as a dodo.

A NEST EGG

-pieniądze odłożone na "czarną godzinę"
-an amount of money that you have saved

PRZYKŁAD:
Regular investment of small amounts of money is an excellent way of building a nest egg.

MUTTON DRESSED AS LAMB

-idiom określa kobietę, która ubrała się nieadekwatnie do swojego wieku
-an offensive way of saying that a woman is dressed in a style that is more suitable for a much younger woman

PRZYKŁAD:
Do you think this skirt is too short? I don't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb.

DOGS ARE BARKING

-idiom używany w sytuacji, gdy bolą nas stopy
-When a person says that their dogs are barking they mean that their feet are hurting.

PRZYKŁAD:
I've been shopping all day. My dogs are barking!

TAKE THE CAKE

-Przesadzić, zrobić coś gorzej, niż do tej pory
-if you say that something someone has said or done takes the cake, you mean that it was very bad, and even worse than things they have said or done before

PRZYKŁAD:
She's been opening my letters - that really takes the cake!

SMALL POTATOES

-coś mało ważnego
-something or someone insignificant

PRZYKŁAD:
This contract is small potatoes, but it keeps us in business till we get into the real money.

-być częścią dużej organizacji
-one part of a large system or organization

PRZYKŁAD:
This warehouse is an important cog in our distribution machine.

BE PART OF THE FURNITURE

-idiom dotyczy osoby lub rzeczy, która tak długo znajduje się w danym miejscu, że może być uznana za jej nieodłączny element
-if someone or something is part of the furniture in a place, they have been there for so long that they seem to be a natural part of that place

PRZYKŁAD:
I've been working in this office for so long I'm part of the furniture now.

PRZYKŁAD:
- When I told Ann that her hair was more beautiful than I had ever seen it, I really put my foot in my mouth. It was a wig.

THE PRIMROSE PATH

-if you lead someone down the primrose path, you encourage them to live an easy life that is full of pleasure but bad for them
- jeśli prowadzisz kogoś taką ścieżką, zachęcasz go do beztroskiego życia, które bywa destruktywne

PRZYKŁAD:
-Unable to enjoy his newly acquired wealth, he felt he was being led down the primrose path that leads to destruction.

PRZYKŁAD:
She doesn't talk much about it because she needs to hold these painful experiences at arm's length.

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO

-gdy w daną sytuację są zaangażowane dwie osoby, każda z nich jest odpowiedzialna za to, co się dzieje
-something that you say which means if two people were involved in a bad situation, both must be responsible

PRZYKŁAD:
'She blames Tracy for stealing her husband.' 'Well, it takes two to tango.'

AN IVORY TOWER

-idiom dotyczy kogoś, kto jest oderwany od rzeczywistości i żyje we własnym świecie
-if you are in an ivory tower, you are in a place or situation where you are separated from ordinary life and its problems

PRZYKŁAD:
-How much of the research done by academics in their ivory towers is ever read or published?

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT

-pogodzić się z czymś, zaakceptować coś
-It is final, and you have to live with it!

PRZYKŁAD:
Well, I'm not going to do what you want, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!

GILD THE LILY

-ozdabiać coś, co nie potrzebuje upiększania ; przedobrzyć z czymś
-to add ornament or decoration to something that is pleasing in its original state; to attempt to improve something that is already fine the way it is.

PRZYKŁAD:
-Your house has lovely brickwork. Don't paint it. That would be gilding the lily.

A BAD / ROTTEN APPLE

-jedna zła osoba w danej grupie
-one bad person in a group of people who are good

PRZYKŁAD:
-You'll find the occasional rotten apple in every organization.

A HOUSE OF CARDS

-organizacja lub plan, które są bardzo łatwe do zniszczenia
-an organization or a plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed

PRZYKŁAD:
-The organization that looked so solid and dependable turned out to be a house of cards.

HAVE SOMETHING BURNING A HOLE IN YOUR POCKET

-idiom dotyczy sytuacji, w której chcemy jak najszybciej wydać swoje pieniądze
-if someone has money burning a hole in their pocket, they want to spend it as soon as possible

PRZYKŁAD:
I had a fifty dollar bill that was burning a hole in my pocket, so I figured I'd go out and have a really good time.

ON THE FACTORY FLOOR

-pracować w fabryce
-if someone works on the factory floor, they are one of the ordinary people who work in a factory

PRZYKŁAD:
-He spent five years on the factory floor before being promoted to supervisor.

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

-coś gotowego do użycia
-When something is at your fingertips, it is readily available and accessible.

PRZYKŁAD:
-When I repair a car, I like to have all my tools at my fingertips.

PUSH AN AT OPEN DOOR

-uzyskiwać to, co się chce, ponieważ ma się poparcie wielu osób
-to achieve what you want easily because a lot of people agree with you or help you

PRZYKŁAD:
-The campaigners are pushing at an open door because most local residents support their campaign against the new road.

NOT BE THE ONLY PEBBLE ON THE BEACH

-nie być jedyną ważną osobą w danej grupie
-to not be the only person who is important in a situation or in a group

PRZYKŁAD:
-Laura always expects to get her own way. It's time she learned that she's not the only pebble on the beach

SMALL BEER

-coś mało ważnego, łatwego
-something that is not important, especially when compared to something else

PRZYKŁAD:
-A loan of that size is small beer - these banks are lending millions of pounds a day

MEND FENCES

-naprawiać z kimś relacje po kłótni
-to try to become friendly again with someone after an argument

PRZYKŁAD:
-China is trying to mend fences with Russia after the recent border dispute.

A DROP IN THE OCEAN

-bardzo mała ilość czegoś, w porównaniu do tej, która jest potrzebna
-a very small amount in comparison to the amount that is needed

PRZYKŁAD:
A hundred thousand may seem a lot but it's a drop in the ocean compared to the millions that need to be spent.

PRZYKŁAD:
-When the coach is away, our team loses. The wheels fall off!

OPEN A PANDORA'S BOX

-zrobić coś, co skutkuje wieloma nieoczekiwanymi problemami
-to do something that causes a lot of new problems that you did not expect

PRZYKŁAD:
-Sadly, his reforms opened a Pandora's box of domestic problems.

CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

-idiom dotyczy sytuacji, w której nie możemy zrozumieć ogólnego sensu danej sprawy, ponieważ przywiązujemy zbyt dużą uwagę do szczegółów.
-if someone can't see the wood for the trees, they are unable to understand what is important in a situation because they are giving too much attention to details

PRZYKŁAD:
-After you've spent years researching a single topic you get to a point where you can't see the wood for the trees.

MICKEY-MOUSE

-coś niepoważnego, kiepskiej jakości
-If something is Mickey Mouse, it is of poor quality or not to be taken seriously.

PRZYKŁAD:
-We're talking about a respected organization here - not some Mickey-Mouse outfit.

BEAN COUNTER

-księgowy
-an accountant or financial officer

PRZYKŁAD:
We wanted to buy some new furniture for the office but the bean counters wouldn't let us.

TO BE LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE

-być czymś bardzo zafascynowanym i nie kontrolować z tego powodu swoich reakcji
-to be very happy and excited about the things around you, and often to react to them in a way which is silly and not controlled

PRZYKŁAD:
You should have seen him when they arrived. He was like a kid in a candy store.

PRZYKŁAD:
-Jill: Should I ask the boss if he's upset at my coming in late in the mornings? Jane: If he hasn't said anything about it, just let sleeping dogs lie.

800 POUND GORILLA

-osoba/organizacja, która jest bardzo wpływowa w świecie biznesu
-800 pound gorilla" is an American English expression for a person or organization so powerful that it can act without regard to the rights of others or the law

PRZYKŁAD:
a riddle: "Where does an 800 lb. gorilla sit?" The answer: "Anywhere it wants to."

PRZYKŁAD:
-Some traders are too afraid to pull the trigger and just watch the market without ever getting involved.

PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE

-bardzo ryzykować
-to take big risks, in a way which is very dangerous

PRZYKŁAD:
-I'm not willing to play Russian roulette with people's lives by drinking and driving.

SELL LIKE HOTCAKES

-coś, co szybko się sprzedaje
-to be sold very fast

PRZYKŁAD:
-The fancy new cars were selling like hotcakes.

CREME DE LA CREME

-"śmietanka", coś najlepszego
- Something superlative.
- People of the highest social level.

PRZYKŁAD:
-Indeed, they are creme de la creme, and a lot is expected of them.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

-idiomu używamy na określenie sytuacji, w której pewien etap się kończy, a zaczyna nowy
-the area where one thing ends and another begins, especially when it is not clear exactly where or when this happens

PRZYKŁAD:
-She'd been unconscious ever since she fell, trapped in the twilight zone between life and death

BEARD THE LION IN HIS DEN

-spotkać się z kimś na jego terytorium
- to confront someone on his or her own territory

PRZYKŁAD:
-If the landlord doesn't contact us soon, we'll have to beard him in his den.

-idiomu używamy na określenie sytuacji, gdy coś się nie udaje/upada, z powodu odejścia dużej ilości osób, np. z firmy
-You can tell when something is about to fail because large numbers of people begin to leave it. (Can imply that the people who leave are "rats," that is, selfish and disloyal

PRZYKŁAD:
-Jill: The company next door must be going bankrupt. Jane: How do you know? Jill: All its employees are resigning. Rats abandon a sinking ship.

PRZYKŁAD:
- He should stop that monkey business and try to do the job the correct way

BRING HOME THE BACON

-zarabiać, przynosić do domu pieniądze
-to earn a salary; to bring home money earned at a job

PRZYKŁAD:
-I've got to get to work if I'm going to bring home the bacon

DRAW THE SHORT STRAW

-należeć do grupy, która ma do wykonania niewdzięczną pracę
-to be the member of a group who has to do an unpleasant job

PRZYKŁAD:
-Sorry, Jim, you drew the short straw. You're on toilet-cleaning duty.

PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL

- wcisnąć gaz do dechy
- to drive very fast

PRZYKŁAD:
- Put the pedal to the metal, and we'll make up some lost time.

SMOOTH SAILING

- bułka z masłem; (mieć) z górki
-a situation where progress is made without any difficulty

PRZYKŁAD:
- Once you've passed that exam, it will be smooth sailing to graduation.

GIVE ME FIVE

- przybić piątkę
- something that you say when you want someone to hit your open hand with theirs, in order to greet them or to show how pleased you are

PRZYKŁAD:
- Hi there little buddy, give me five!

ON THE WAGON

-nie pić alkoholu, być na odwyku. Idiom jest używamy zazwyczaj w odniesieniu do osób mających problem z alkoholem.
- not drinking any alcohol, after a period of drinking regularly.
Usage notes: usually said about someone who has an alcohol problem.

PRZYKŁAD:
- He's been on the wagon for ten years now.

HIT THE ROAD

- rozpocząć podróż
- to start a journey

PRZYKŁAD:
-I'd love to stay longer, but it's really time to hit the road.

Usage notes: often said about someone who goes to work for another company
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of jump ship (to leave a ship without permission while it is temporarily in a port in the middle of a trip)

PRZYKŁAD:
-The original star of the TV series jumped ship after the first season.

PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER

-kojarzyć fakty
-to figure something out from the information available.

PRZYKŁAD:
-Well, I put two and two together and came up with an idea of who did it.- Don't worry. John won't figure it out. He can't put two and two together.

PRZYKŁAD:
-Her visit to the war memorial brought home to her the suffering the war had caused.

ROSE COLOURED GLASSES

-idiom określa osobę, która ocenia rzeczywistość na lepszą/piękniejszą, niż tak naprawdę jest.
-if someone thinks about or looks at something with rose-coloured glasses, they think it is more pleasant than it really is

PRZYKŁAD:
-She's nostalgic for a past that she sees through rose-colored glasses.

USE A SLEDGEHAMMER TO CRACK A NUT

-używać większej mocy do zrobienia czegoś niż wymaga tego dana sytuacja
-to do something with more force than is necessary to achieve the result you want

PRZYKŁAD:
Sending ten men to arrest one small boy was a clear case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

HOT POTATO

-kontrowersyjny, delikatny problem, którego rozwiązanie ma przykre konsekwencje
-A problem that is so controversial or sensitive that those handling it risk unpleasant consequences

PRZYKŁAD:
gun control-a political hot potato

APPLES AND ORANGES

-idiom używany na określenie dwóch kompletnie różnych rzeczy lub osób
-if two people or things are apples and oranges, they are completely different